KUALA LUMPUR, 26 April: A bogus housing developer syndicate where people are duped into buying non-existent properties was thwarted by the police after they arrested four people in connection with the scam.

Sentul district police chief ACP R. Munusamy said police were alerted to this after a victim made a report about her ordeal on April 18.

He said the woman had seen the advertisement online by this developer who was selling housing units in Sungai Tua.

She then went to the showroom which was in Jalan Segambut where they had mock models of the purported housing development and was offered a unit for RM120,000.

“The agents then said she had to pay a booking fee of only RM5,000 to get a unit, which she did,” he said at a press conference at the Sentul police headquarters here today.

Feeling suspicious, the victim then went to the Selayang Municipal Council to check if the project actually was valid.

To her shock, she was told there was no such project and no licences had been issued for any development in that area.

“What was more suspicious is that the piece of land where the property was supposed to be built was owned by four different people not connected to this company,” Munusamy said.

Following the victim’s police report, police arrested three men and a woman aged between 31 and 51.

“One of the suspects was previously involved in another scam to sell non-existent vehicles,” he said, adding that police were now tracking down two more suspects.

He said 16 reports have been lodged in connection with the case so far, with losses amounting to about RM80,000.

On another matter, Munusamy said police have arrested eight people in connection with an armed robbery of a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

Munusamy said in the incident that happened on Sunday morning, a 60-year-old woman had parked and alighted from her SUV in front of her restaurant at Jalan Ipoh when a motorcyclist pulled up in front of her car.

The pillion rider got off and pointed a weapon at her and demanded her car keys.

“She surrendered her car keys fearing for her life and the suspect pushed her on the road and drove off in the car,” said Munusamy.

In immediate follow-up operations, police raided two hotels in the city and arrested six men and two women aged in their 30s.

He said they also seized the Toyota SUV, a motorcycle, and an air-pistol.

“The eight suspects have been remanded to assist investigations,” he said.